Chapter 295

Chapter 295: Teachable Child

Thus, Lou Yun kept walking incessantly, as if repeating an endless journey: enter the fourth cave, exit the cave, make a mark, then enter the fourth cave again, and exit again!

Additionally, apart from seeing that mark at the beginning which might have been left by elder brother, Lou Yun never encountered any similar mark in the remaining caves after that.

Originally, Lou Yun was wondering if he was just circling around, but after passing through eight caves, he still hadn’t seen any mark he left himself, indicating he was traversing new caves, not spinning around the same spot.

However, Lou Yun wasn’t wholly without gains; as he crossed through the third cave, he discovered a skeleton sitting against the cave wall, its clothes having weathered away over time, making identification impossible.

In the journey afterward, Lou Yun noticed that skeletons here were simply too numerous, revealing how most people who entered indeed perished in this place, never making it out.

This kind of walking with no end in sight truly tested one’s mind and willpower: there was neither sound nor light, plus he had to continually tread paths that looked almost identical; anyone with slightly weaker determination would likely have gone mad long ago!

Lou Yun himself was now feeling close to madness, yet he gritted his teeth and persevered; he simply refused to believe the Thousand Layer Cave was truly endless!

But precisely as Lou Yun passed through the ninth cave entrance, beyond his heartbeat, he suddenly heard a few other sounds!

"Clang!"

"Crack, crack!"

"Boom!"

The sounds started low and grew louder gradually, with the final boom being deafening, like thunder striking right beside Lou Yun.

Lou Yun froze momentarily, then suddenly sprang into a run, dashing straight to the cave entrance, where, fortunately, he witnessed an extremely bizarre sight!

The eight cave entrances on the opposite wall—no, the entire front mountain wall—was actually rotating slowly counterclockwise!

Lou Yun watched wide-eyed as the original eight cave entrances vanished into the mountain belly, replaced by eight new entrances emerging from the other side.

"Boom!"

Once those eight entrances appeared, another earth-shaking roar echoed, and all movement around ceased!

Witnessing this change made Lou Yun finally understand Elder Wen Zhi Lao Ren’s words about how the caves could shift on their own!

So that was why it was impossible to leave after entering—the marks made got moved to unknown locations, making escape impossible!

Lou Yun hurriedly walked to both sides of the mountain wall, peered closely, and indeed faint lines like strands of hair were visible—proving the walls could indeed move.

This discovery made Lou Yun lose interest in moving forward; he simply plopped down to ponder what was really going on!

Since the cave walls moved, the Thousand Layer Cave must be a mechanism, whether naturally formed or artificially created.

If manmade, that person’s reasoning and intellect, plus his power, were truly extreme; but why would anyone expend immense effort and resources to build the Thousand Layer Cave, and for what purpose?

While Lou Yu pondered, he mentally tracked the time, waiting for the wall before him to move again!

The second shift happened after exactly three hours, completing another clockwise rotation!

Once this movement finished, Lou Yun quickly made a mark on one of the cave entrances and sat back down.

At that moment, Chang Xiang couldn’t resist appearing, observing Lou Yun and saying, "You’re not planning to wait for that mark you made to move back, are you?"

Lou Yun replied, "Yes—it rotates every three hours. I want to see how long it takes to complete one full cycle, and then I can estimate how many caves there are."

Chang Xiang shook his head. "This is purely a waste of time!"

Lou Yun questioned, "A waste of time? Brother Chang, do you have any idea to get out? Otherwise, all I can do is wait while practicing!"

Chang Xiang stared at Lou Yun with a look of intense disappointment. "You—have you even considered that the Thousand Layer Cave might be a formation?"

This question acted like a splashing wake-up call, instantly sparking Lou Yun’s mind and leaving him dumbly seated, without any reaction.

Indeed, he had just obtained a copy of the "Formation Path Expansion Decision" and was beginning to grasp formations—yet he hadn’t thought to link it to that possibility, with this Thousand Layer Cave potentially being such a formation!

Formations came in many types; traps like this that ensnared people, preventing escape or exit, were called illusion formations!

Their purpose was to exhaust intruders’ strength or shatter their will, leading to death by exhaustion or breakdown into helplessness.

For instance, the formation Lou Yun entered on Carefree Island where the Three Brothers of the Lu Family resided was an illusion formation; later, the Illusionary Sky Formation on Divine Weapon Island set by the Three Brothers of the Lu Family was also of that type!

Seeing Lou Yu’s stunned expression, Chang Xiang sensed he was just realizing it now, and remarked disparagingly, "If this wasn’t a formation, how could entry be possible but exit impossible? Your elder brother and second brother were all top experts from Spirit Weapon Star—only a formation could trap them! Instead of idly awaiting wall shifts, you should dive into studying the ‘Formation Path Expansion Decision’; I bet you can’t escape anytime soon! Who knows—after leaving, you might become a master of formations!"

Lou Yun nodded. "Yes, yes, Brother Chang, you’re right. I’ll study this closely right now!"

Lou Yun took out the Dragon Suppression Plate; actually, the "Formation Path Expansion Decision" carved on it was already memorized by heart, but he felt thinking while looking deepened understanding.

Lou Yu rarely had distracting thoughts, allowing concentration in all endeavors; true to form, as he retrieved the plate, his entire focus shifted to the "Formation Path Expansion Decision."

Observing Lou Yun’s dedication, Chang Xiang smiled and shook his head; though his words toward Lou Yun were often sarcastic, at heart he had more faith in him than anyone—and that last remark wasn’t a joke; Chang Xiang genuinely believed it possible!

True, nothing in life had shortcuts, but innate talent was undeniable; some grasped things quickly with a hint, while others scratched forever without finding any breakthroughs.

Whereas the Three Brothers of the Lu Family had studied formations for decades, doubtless surpassing Lou Yu in knowledge, Lou Yun’s comprehension of heaven and earth’s truths and his perception of celestial energies were far superior, explaining how he could effortlessly dismantle their painstakingly created formations before.

Previously, Chang Xiang hadn’t seen much value in formations and thus avoided learning them himself; but after two consecutive formations—especially at Ancient Weapon Academy, witnessing Nan Qu Xing’s plate sealing the Illusory Wolf Heavenly Fire—he was profoundly awed, realizing formations’ true power—so he now felt teaching Lou Yun formations would greatly aid Lou Yun’s future!

Before entering the Thousand Layer Cave, Chang Xiang had suspected it was a formation—yet he said nothing, even encouraging deeper exploration because desperation best unlocked human potential, gambling on the outcome; now, indeed trapped, it depended on whether Lou Yu could unravel the "Formation Path Expansion Decision"!

During Lou Yu’s deep study, Chang Xiang paced around; truthfully, he was intensely curious about the Thousand Layer Cave—even if it was a formation, what purpose did its creator have? Was it mere frivolity?

Likely only two reasons—either protecting something precious or trapping something dangerous!

Located deep within a mountain belly, it could safeguard valuables via a grand formation shield, or seal entities like what Nan Qu Xing did to the Illusory Wolf Heavenly Fire.

Three hours passed swiftly, and just as Lou Yu lifted his head to stare at the mountain wall before him, sounds erupted—the wall slid again, but clockwise this time.

Chang Xiang noted this and prepared to speak, but seeing Lou Yu bury his head back in the Dragon Suppression Plate post-shift, he swallowed his words, nodding repeatedly within his mind: "That child is teachable, truly teachable!"

Yet he remained unaware—Lou Yu’s driving fervor to master formations wasn’t for knowledge alone—it aimed to reunite sooner with his brothers!

Because Leng Cangqiong and Beichen Ming hadn’t entered the cave by choice—they’d been forced in; Lou Yun, having suffered the cave’s wrath, knew prolonged stays spelled greater doom, especially for Leng Cangqiong’s impatience—likely he was already wrecking things by brute force—so Lou Yu felt compelled to unveil the Thousand Layer Cave’s secrets faster for a reunion.

Time flowed slow amid Lou Yu’s intense focus, with the Thousand Layer Cave rotating every precise three hours; after eight such shifts, Lou Yun finally spotted the cave where he had left his mark!